The present invention relates generally to the field of data storage libraries, and more particularly to the management of data using a dynamic tape storage library infrastructure.
Tape cartridges are commonly used to store large amounts of data and are typically implemented with tape drives used for reading and writing the data to and from the tape cartridges. As the amount of data continues to grow at exponential rates, it is often more efficient to store large numbers of tape cartridges in storage libraries. The storage libraries generally include sets of storage slots for storing the tape cartridges, one or more tape drives, and a tape cartridge retrieval mechanism for finding the appropriate tape cartridges and inserting the cartridges into the tape drive. Many of the storage libraries also contain some form of an internal communication system, such as a network connection.